Law enforcement officers throughout Somerset County will be focusing on drunk drivers as part of the 2014 Labor Day “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. From Aug. 15 through Sept. 1, local and state law enforcement officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and roving patrols, looking for motorists who may be driving while intoxicated.

“Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” is a national campaign designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking and driving through high-visibility enforcement and public education tools, including posters, banners and mobile video display signs. Launched across the U.S. in 1999, the program works to combat drunk driving during the busy summer travel season, including the Labor Day holiday period.

“More than 10,000 people are killed in the United States each year in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving is reckless and preventable,” said Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano. “During this campaign police agencies in Somerset County will join law enforcement throughout New Jersey for the purpose of sending a clear message. If drivers are caught driving impaired, they will be arrested and prosecuted.”

In 2013 alcohol-impaired fatalities accounted for 22 percent of New Jersey’s motor vehicle fatalities. As part of the initiative, the Division of Highway Traffic Safety provides grants to local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to run the two-week campaign.

Chief William Parenti of the Somerset County Association of Chiefs of Police offers the following advice:

• If you plan to consume alcohol beverages, designate a driver, someone who will not drink, before going out.
• Take mass transit, a taxi or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity is held.
• Report impaired drivers to law enforcement. In New Jersey, drivers may dial #77 to report a drunk or aggressive driver.
• Always buckle up, every ride, regardless of your seating position in the vehicle. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you’re intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive you to your doorstep.